Gary Ross

One of the most accomplished writer-directors of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary Ross received screenwriting Oscar nominations for "Big" (1988), "Dave" (1993) and "Seabiscuit" (2003) while enjoyi...
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Movie Musings: 'Hunger Games'

By:
Laremy Legel
Jan 28, 2011

1. The Most Likely Hunger Games Flaws
When you come across a series written as powerfully as The Hunger Games you can pretty much guarantee they are going to flub it. It doesn't always go down like that, you do catch Harry Potter style "lightning in a bottle" luck every so often, but the solid majority of great literature is far more likely to be destroyed by proxy once a studio gets ahold of it. As such, here are the likely places they'll misfire on the Hunger Games adaptation, with the caveat being I really hope I'm wrong, because I love the series:
It won't be dark enough.
They are going to need the teen crowd to come out in droves, but that means making the film PG-13. Unfortunately, the series is absolutely vicious at times. It was meant for a young adult audience, but writer Suzanne Collins has put some very adult themes front and center in her trilogy. If the film attempts to lighten the mood it will destroy the value of the work.
The Wrong Katniss.
Take a look at this photo of potential heroines for the critical Katniss role. I feel like Chloe Moretz is the best route to go, though Georgie Henley (of Narnia fame) is an interesting take. I loved Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit, but I don't see her as this generation's Sarah Connor, which is precisely what Katniss embodies. Abigail Breslin is a dynamic young actress, but so far she's played happy far better than she's tackled sad and murderous. No matter what, if they go the wrong way, this project is dead upon arrival.
Marketers selling a different product
I'd love to be in the room when the marketing department is tasked with selling a film about children trying to kill each other for ritual sport. "It's Zombieland meets About a Boy!" I think we can count on the first trailer looking much like the current 127 Hours trailers, completely defanged.
Have they already whiffed on the director?
Months ago I mentioned the project needed a strong director. They went with Gary Ross, whose credits include Seabiscuit and Pleasantville. I think Ross will be visually dynamic, which is great, as there is certainly a sci-fi element to the story. But I worry about his range. There's a chance they would have been better off with a horror director, one who could dial it back a few degrees. This is a story light on dialogue and heavy on emotions. Here's hoping Ross works it out, despite the odds and the rabid fan base he's facing off against.
2. Recreating the Day the Makers of The Source Code Saw Inception
Studio Executive #1: Wow.
Studio Executive #2: I know.
Studio Executive #1: I mean, just wow.
Studio Executive #2: Yeah, I heard you the first time.
Studio Executive #1: What should we do?
Studio Executive #2: I say we just make the poster look exactly the same. Same colors, same twisting confusion, same everything.
Studio Executive #1: But people are going to know it's not Inception! We've got Jake Gyllenhaal front and center!
Studio Executive #2: Ugh. What a catastrophe. Just make him really small, and put tons of photos whirling around him.
Studio Executive #1: Okay, but what do we do about the synopsis?
Studio Executive #2: You mean how our movie is about entering someone's body while Inception is about entering people's dreams?
Studio Executive #1: Yeah, what do we do about that?
Studio Executive #2: Let's just release it in April and call it a day.
Studio Executive #1: But, but, isn't April is a complete dumping ground? I mean, that's where we put The Scorpion King!
Studio Executive #2: Mmmmhmmm.
Studio Executive #1: Ahhh, I see. (pause) Do you think we'll get a bad performance appraisal for this?
Studio Executive #2: For what?
Studio Executive #1: For not knowing Christopher Nolan was making a modern classic and greenlighting a film that looks to be about 35 percent as good, tops?
Studio Executive #2: Nah. If we start actively ignoring it starting right now I think we're golden.
Studio Executive #1: Solid! I guess you could say our source code has been changed!
Studio Executive #2: Er, I think we've actually been Incepted.
Both double over in laughter and then head out to get lunch at the strip club.
********End Scene********
3. Felicity Jones Wins Sundance
Like most of the world, you probably missed her in The Tempest. Thankfully, the chances of you missing her in Like Crazy are much slimmer given Paramount's $4m buy at Sundance this year. Felicity's performance is nothing short of miraculous, completely out of nowhere, powerful yet smooth. She plays a character named Anna, and at the start she is definitely rocking the whole "manic pixie dream girl" vibe that Cameron Crowe (one of my favorites) adores. But the character evolves and shows real depth, and Jones is up to the performance. She also allows co-star Anton Yelchin to shine, so much so that I forgot he was Chekov in Star Trek while I was watching him.
I could see her slipping into a Natalie Portman level of career. She's 27, so she'll be able to pull off almost any role (short of Grandmother) for the next five to seven years. My fervent hope is that she continues to handle the "heavy lifting" dramatic work, aiming for Oscars, because I'm certain she'll be offered every romantic comedy script out there. And she’s much better than that, regardless of the paychecks involved.
On that note, I'm off to pen a romantic comedy script whilst requesting a Felicity Jones 1:1 interview.
Check out last week's Movie Musings here.
Laremy is the lead critic and senior producer for a website named Film.com. He's also available on Twitter.

I know I’m jumping on the bandwagon a little late (hey guys!), but The Hunger Games is a really good book. I mean, it's nothing classic but it's still a good read and so much better than those Girl Kicking Stuff While On Fire With A Dragon Tattoo (yeah, I said it, deal with it).
And we’ve known for a while that a film adaptation would be happening with Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) at the helm. Now we know that we’ll be seeing the movie on March 23, 2012. The film will be aiming for a PG-13 rating although some people have been worried that the book is definitely R-rated material despite being a young adult novel. But with our screwed up rating system, they should be able to get away with everything they need to and still skirt by with a PG-13.
No word on casting yet, though that should change soon enough. I can’t be the only one who thought that True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld would be perfect for the part. That is a general consensus, right? Granted, I read the book after watching the movie, so my judgment could be off (wouldn’t be the first time) but she could nail this role on the head. She’s tough but loving and has proved herself a capable actress, holding her own opposite Jeff Bridges AND Matt Damon. Not an easy feat for a fourteen year old.
Source: ComingSoon

There are 115 films selected for this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Even the most die-hard film buff couldn’t see each one that Park City, Utah has to offer but luckily we have selected the few that look most promising based solely on their loglines, cast, etc. (for a full list of competing films go here, for a full list of non-competing films here). Check out our top picks below!
Cedar Rapids (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) —A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver.
Ed Helms helped write the movie. That alone should sell the film to you.
The Details (Director and screenwriter: Jacob Aaron Estes) —When hungry raccoons discover worms living under the sod in a young couple’s backyard, the pest problem sets off a wild and absurd chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity, organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow.Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert. A movie with raccoons, infidelity, Elizabeth Banks, and a death by bow and arrow? Sold.
Life in a Day (Director: Kevin Macdonald) —Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations. While the film may be boring, the fact that they did this makes the film worth watching.
The Music Never Stopped (Director: Jim Kohlberg; Screenwriters: Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on the story “The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks) — A father struggles to bond with his estranged son who suffers a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. He learns to embrace his son’s choices and to try to connect with him through the power of music. Cast: J.K. Simmons, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mia Maestro. While this sounds a little too sad for my tastes, J.K. Simmons is the man. He alone could get me into any movie so I guess I’ll stick it out for this one.
My Idiot Brother (Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall) — After serving time for selling pot, Ned successively moves in with each of his three sisters as he tries to get back on his feet. His best intentions quickly bring the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity. Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer. If the cast alone isn’t working for you, Zooey Deschanel plays a lesbian with Rashida Jones. Don’t forget to breathe.
Perfect Sense (Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson) —A poetic and magnetic love story about two people who start to fall in love just as the world begins to fall apart. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Dillane, Denis Lawson and Connie Nielsen. I only included this one for its ridiculous logline.
Red State (Director and screenwriter: Kevin Smith) — A group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. Cast: Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo. Let’s see how well Kevin Smith handles the horror genre. He’s been talking about this one for years, time for him to put up or shut up. Though something tells me that won’t happen any time soon.
Salvation Boulevard (Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone and George Ratliff, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart) —An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei. There is something alluring about the prospect of a preacher framing someone for something they didn’t do. Add this cast in and we’re definitely excited.
The Son of No One (Director and screenwriter: Dito Montiel) —Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets. Cast: Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche. The closing night film doesn’t sound too interesting except that it has Tracy Morgan. Color me intrigued and let me stroke my long and gorgeous goatee.
Bobby Fischer Against the World (Director: Liz Garbus) — The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run. Bobby Fishcer is one of the most fascinating people to ever become a grand champion of chess. His story has been told before but personally I don’t think one more will hurt.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Director: Morgan Spurlock) — A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement. A film buff endorsing a movie from one of the best documentarians working in his new film about the film business? You must be crazy.
Bellflower (Director and screenwriter: Evan Glodell) — A ballad for every person who has ever loved and lost – with enough violence, weapons, action and sex to tell a love story with apocalyptic stakes. Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes. Case in point of a second half of a sentence completely saving the sentence from the first half.
Lord Byron (Director: Zack Godshall; Screenwriters: Zack Godshall and Ross Brupbacher) — When he's not pursuing women, Byron is smoking weed and loafing around. But he's grown restless in his middle-age and feels the need to escape – he just doesn't know where to go. Cast: Paul Batiste, Gwendolyn Spradling, Kayla Lemaire. We’re definitely not wanting to see this looking for advice. Definitely not.
The Off Hours (Director and screenwriter: Megan Griffiths) — A passing truck driver brings an unfamiliar sense of optimism to a woman working the night shift at a quiet diner, reminding her it's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton, Bret Roberts, Tony Doupe. I love truck drivers. I’m pretty sure I still want to be one. If this doesn’t have a killer country soundtrack I want my money back (which is whopping zero dollars, but whatever).
to.get.her (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five girls come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true. Cast: Jazzy De Lisser, Chelsea Logan, Adwoa Aboah, Jami Eaton, Audrey Speicher. BLUGH.
Kaboom (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki)— A science fiction story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Cast: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple. A science fiction film about sexual awakening? I’m there.
Meek’s Cutoff (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriter: Jon Raymond) — In 1845, three families who have hired mountaineer Stephen Meek to guide their wagons over the Cascade Mountains get lost and face hunger, thirst and a lack of faith in their instincts for survival. Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Zoe Kaza, Bruce Greenwood, Shirley Henderson. So this is basically a period piece of Alive with two of the best actors around. Done.
Submarine (Director: Richard Ayoade; Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade from the novel by Joe Dunthorne) — Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Cast: Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige. This film had a big showing at this years Toronto Film Festival. I just want to see it already!
Uncle Kent (Director: Joe Swanberg; Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne) — A pothead cartoonist in Los Angeles spends a weekend trying to sleep with his visiting house guest – a woman from New York he met on Chatroulette. Cast: Kent Osborne. While the premise sounds awesome, basing around the already past its prime fad Chatroulette seems like a wrong move.
Hobo with A Shotgun (Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Johnathan Davies) — A hobo hops from a train with dreams of a fresh life in a new city, but instead finds himself trapped in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun in his hands and two shells in the chamber. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey. Looks like we found the winner for Best Title.
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (Director and screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek) — A shy greeting card store employee unknowingly falls for a lesbian space alien while two government agents closely track their romance. Cast: Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Dennis Davis, Alex Karpovsky, Rae C Wright. Just kidding about the best title thing from above. This is the clear winner.
Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) (Director: Andre Ovredal) — A group of student filmmakers get more than they bargained for when tangling with a man tasked with protecting Norway from giant trolls. Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna Mørch, Tomas Alf Larsen. Norwegian giant trolls, what more could you ask for?
Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel (Director: Alex Stapleton) — Tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood’s most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, James Cameron, Roger Corman. Just look at who all is involved and tell why you wouldn’t watch this? Now shut up and learn something.
Jess + Moss (Director: Clay Jeter; Screenwriters: Clay Jeter and Debra Jeter) — Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, second cousins Jess and Moss only have each other. A series of visceral vignettes conjure memories of companionship and sexual awakening during a summer shared together on their Kentucky farm. Cast: Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers. So it’s like George Michael and Maebe make a movie? Whatever, I’ll watch.
The Nine Muses (Director and screenwriter: John Akomfrah) — An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. And the Most Pretentious Sounding Film award goes to The Nine Muses. Thanks for playing.
Benavides Born (Director: Amy Wendel; Screenwriters: Daniel Meisel and Amy Wendel) — A high school senior in a forgotten town has earned admission to the University of Texas at Austin but can't afford to go. Her one shot is a scholarship for winning the State Powerlifting Championship. Cast: Corina Calderon, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Joseph Julian Soria, Julia Vera, Julio César Cedillo. Female Powerlifting hasn’t exactly gotten the best films attached to it. I hope this film changes that.
Homework (Director and screenwriter: Gavin Wiesen) — Quirky, rebellious George has no ambitions other than to cut his next class. But one day, one girl gives him the perfect reason to figure out who he really is. Cast: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser with Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. This sounds stupid but Emma Roberts is kind of cute, so who knows.
The Ledge (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Chapman) — Perched on a ledge, a man says he must jump by noon, while a cop races against time to get to the bottom of it. Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard with Christopher Gorham. Early reviews of this film say its really good. So I’ll go along for now.
Like Crazy (Director: Drake Doremus; Screenwriters: Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones) — A young American guy and a young British girl meet in college and fall in love. Their love is tested when she is required to leave the country and they must face the challenges of a long-distance relationship. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston. UGH... wait, it’s Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence? Never mind, this is going to be awesome.
Take Shelter (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — A working-class husband and father questions whether his terrifying dreams of an apocalyptic storm signal something real to come or the onset of an inherited mental illness he's feared his whole life. Cast: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker. This looks super serious, and that’s great, but I really just want to see Katy Mixon.
Terri (Director: Azazel Jacobs; Screenwriters: Patrick Dewitt and Azazel Jacobs) — Orphaned to an uncle who is fading away, mercilessly teased by his peers and roundly ignored by his teachers, Terri is alienated and alone. When the dreaded vice-principal sees something of himself in Terri, they establish a friendship which opens Terri up to the possibility that life is not something to be endured, but something to be shared, and even enjoyed. Cast: Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina. Ok, I know this film sounds ridiculous, but it has Creed Bratton in it. That’s gotta count for something, right?
The Untitled Sam Levinson Project (Director and screenwriter: Sam Levinson) — A pair of reckless siblings are dragged into a chaotic family wedding by their overwrought mother. Cast: Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Jeffrey DeMunn, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church. Wedding movies involving dis-functional families are always the best.
BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer’s Journey (Director: Constance Marks) — The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. A movie about the guy who has his hand up Elmo’s butt all day? Actually, that sounds kind of sweet.
Page One: A year inside the New York Times (Director: Andrew Rossi; Screenwriters: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi) — Unprecedented access to theNew York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity. Something tells me it will be more than bored journalists checking Twitter all day.
The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Directors: Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion) — A brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia's horrific 14-year civil war renounces his violent past and reinvents himself as an Evangelist, facing those he once terrorized. And the award for logline least like the film the title suggests goes to this film.
Abraxas (Director: Dai Sako; Screenwriters: Dai Sako and Naoki Kato) — After botching a speech on career guidance at a local high school, a depressed Zen monk with a heavy metal past realizes that only music can revive his spirit.Cast: Suneohair, Rie Tomosaka, Manami Honjou, Ryouta Murai, Kaoru Kobayashi.
Zen monks and heavy metal? This nirvana goes to 11.
All Your Dead Ones (Todos Tus Muertos) (Director Carlos Moreno; Screenwriters: Alonso Torres and Carlos Moreno) — One morning, a peasant wakes to find a pile of bodies in the middle of his crops. When he goes to the authorities, he quickly realizes that the dead ones are a problem nobody wants to deal with. Cast: Alvaro Rodríguez, Jorge Herrera, Martha Marquez, Harold Devasten, John Alex Castillo. Sounds gross to find a bunch of dead bodies amongst your crops, but it does sound like a great film.
Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) (Director: Anne Sewitsky; Screenwriter: Ragnhild Tronvoll) — A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door. Cast: Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Maibritt Saerens, Joachim Rafaelsen.
You had me at sex-starved Norwegian housewife.
Vampire (Director and screenwriter: Iwai Shunji) — On the surface, Simon seems like a fairly normal, average young man, devoted to his teaching job and ailing mother. Secretly, he is compelled to hunt through online chat rooms and message boards, searching for the perfect girl who will ensure his own survival. Cast: Kevin Zegers, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rachel Leigh Cook, Kristin Kreuk, Aoi Yu and Adelaide Clemens. A Japanese film about creepy guys hunting girls? Surely you jest.
KNUCKLE (Director: Ian Palmer) — An epic 12-year journey into the brutal and secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle fighting, this film follows a history of violent feuding between rival clans. I hope this film will make me want to break a bottle over my head and throw someone out a pub window.
Project Nim (Director: James Marsh) — From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who was taught to communicate with language as he was raised and nurtured like a human child. I’ve often dreamed of a world where men and monkeys live as one. Also I’ve always wanted to ask a Gorilla if he wanted to play video games with me.
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (Director:Matthew Bate) — When two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world's first 'viral' pop-culture sensations. And with a great title and an intriguing logline, this film has me wanting more. Sounds delightful.

Making an earnest cinematic argument for the immortality of the soul and the existence of an afterlife without delving into mushy sentimentality is a difficult task for even the most gifted and “serious” of filmmakers. Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson discovered as much last year when his sappy grandiose adaptation of the ethereal bestseller The Lovely Bones opened to scathing reviews. Critics by and large tend to bristle at movie renderings of what may or may not await them in that Great Arthouse in the Sky.
And yet filmmakers seem determined to keep trying. The latest to make the attempt is Clint Eastwood who throughout his celebrated directorial career has certainly demonstrated a firm grasp of the death part of the equation. His filmography with a few notable exceptions practically revels in it: of his recent oeuvre Invictus is the only work that doesn’t deal with mortality in some significant manner. With his new film Hereafter Eastwood hopes to add immortality to his thematic resume.
The film's narrative centers on three characters each of whom has intimate experience with death and loss. Their stories in true Eastwood fashion can ostensibly be labeled Sad Sadder and Saddest: Marie (Cecile de France) is a French TV news anchor who’s haunted by disturbing flashbacks after she loses consciousness — and briefly her life — during a natural disaster; George (Matt Damon looking credibly schlubby) is a former psychic whose skills as a medium are so potent (the slightest touch from another human being triggers an instant powerful psychic connection a la Rogue from X-Men) they’ve left him isolated and alone; Marcus is a London schoolboy who retreats into a somber shell after losing his twin brother in a tragic car accident (both brothers are played rather impressibly by real-life twins Frankie and George McLaren).
Humanity offers little help to these troubled souls surrounding them with skeptics charlatans users and deadbeats none of whom are particularly helpful with crises of an existential nature. Luckily there are otherworldly options. Peter Morgan's script assumes psychics out-of-body experiences and other such phenomena to be real and legitimate but in a non-denominational Coast-to-Coast AM kind of way. Unlike Jackson’s syrupy CGI-drenched glimpses of the afterlife Eastwood’s visions of the Other Side are vague and eery — dark fuzzy silhouettes of the departed set against a white background. Only Damon’s character George seems capable of drawing meaning from them which is why he’s constantly sought out by grief-stricken folks desperate to make contact with loved ones who’ve recently passed on. He’s John Edward only real (and not a douche).
Marie and Marcus appear destined to find him as well but only as the last stop on wearisome circuitous and often heartbreaking spiritual journeys that together with George’s hapless pursuit of a more temporal connection (psychic ability it turns out can be a wicked cock-blocker) consume the bulk of Hereafter’s running time. We know the three characters’ paths must inevitably intersect but Morgan’s script stubbornly forestalls this eventuality testing our patience for nearly two ponderous and maudlin hours and ultimately building up expectations for a climax Eastwood can’t deliver at least not without sacrificing any hope of credulity.
It should be noted that Hereafter features a handful of genuinely touching moments thanks in great part to the film's tremendous cast. And its finale is refreshingly upbeat. Unfortunately it also feels forced and terribly unsatisfying. Eastwood an established master of all things tragic and forlorn struggles mightily to mount a happy ending. (Which in my opinion is much more challenging than a sad or ambiguous one.) After prompting us to seriously ponder life’s ultimate question Eastwood’s final answer seems to be: Don’t worry about it.

Gary Ross is rumored to direct his first film in seven years, and it's gonna be weird.
The four time Oscar-nominee -- director of Seabiscuit and Pleasantville and co-writer of Big -- may take the helm of The Hunger Games, an adaptation of the acclaimed young adult science-fiction novel from Suzanne Collins.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem -- where North America once stood. Capitol, the government, holds a contest each year where they choose one boy and one girl to fight to the death. The contest demonstrates that no one is above Capitol's power. The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to take her sister's place to fight in the contest.
Young adult, eh? Seems pretty heavy. At least there's no vampires.
Anyway, if he does take the job, The Hunger Games is an odd fit for Ross. He has an excellent ability at capturing characters in their moments of uncertainty, and from the outline of this plot -- it sounds like that's the case. In each of his films, he uses the strangeness of the situations presented to his advantage. His characters somehow adapt to these and develop -- sometimes so much they turn from black and white to color! (Sorry, we had to.) Our only concern is how the filmmaker will handle the violent battles within the narrative; something he's never done before. Generally he chooses sentimentality over sadism and that credo won't do Katniss much good, so here's hoping we see a bit of Ross' dark side in The Hunger Games!
Source: Coming Soon

Damon is in talks to play the politician who was assassinated in 1968, just five years after his brother President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, Texas.
The movie will be directed by Seabiscuit helmer Gary Ross, and based on Evan Thomas' biography of Kennedy, titled His Life.
Damon has confirmed he'll take the starring role if he likes the script, but admits he's intimidated by the prospect of playing Kennedy.
He says, "Well I dont know that I can (play him well). It's part of the challenge, but I'm pretty confident I could do it. It would be a lot of research and time put in. Where I come from, he's a pretty important person and it's a lot of responsibility... the script comes in in a few weeks and hopefully (it's) a good script."
Kennedy has previously been portrayed on screen by Martin Sheen in 1974 TV movie The Missiles of October, by Casey Affleck in The Kennedys of Massachusetts, and more recently by Dave Fraunces in 2006's Bobby.

The actor is in talks to star in a new biopic about the politician, who was assassinated in 1968, just five years after his brother President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, Texas.
Kennedy has previously been portrayed on screen by Sheen in 1974 TV movie The Missiles of October, by Affleck in The Kennedys of Massachusetts, and more recently by Dave Fraunces in 2006's Bobby.
Now Damon is considering tackling the role in the untitled project with Seabiscuit director Gary Ross, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily.
The website reports the movie will be based on Evan Thomas' biography of Kennedy, titled His Life, and Damon will only sign the contract after he has approved the script.

Matt Damon is attached to play Robert F. Kennedy in a New Regency picture that has Gary Ross directing and Steven Knight scripting.
Deadline.com reports that Damon will wait to see the script before it will be known whether or not the project will really happen. The film will be based on the Evan Thomas biography, His Life, which Landscape Entertainment’s Bob Cooper optioned.
Cooper will produce with Ross and his Larger Than Life partner Alison Thomas.
The film, says Deadline, will trace RFK's transformation from the younger brother in the shadow of President John F. Kennedy to a strong national leader in his own right before he was assassinated in 1968.
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The majesty of the Emerald Isle is on full display in Leap Year an opposites attract romantic comedy starring Amy Adams (Julie &amp; Julia Enchanted) and Matthew Goode (A Single Man Watchmen). Director Anand Tucker (Shopgirl Hilary and Jackie) shooting entirely on location in Ireland takes us on a whirlwind tour of the country’s breathtaking landscape reveling in its fabled fairy-tale charm.
Pity then that such a magnificent setting is so mercilessly defaced by Leap Year’s unrelenting mediocrity. The film’s dubious premise testing the already loose limits of rom-com believability casts Adams as Anna a type-A career girl who flies to Ireland intending to pop the question to her feet-dragging boyfriend on February 29th aka Leap Day. Why Leap Day? Because according to some idiotic old Irish tradition that’s when women are allowed to do such things. (Click here to watch Adams herself try to explain the plot.)
Unfortunately for Anna weather problems force her plane to land far away from Dublin and her would-be fiance. Trapped in a tiny coastal town with no reliable transportation at her disposal she enlists the help of a scruffy abrasive barkeep named Declan (Goode) to drive her cross-country so she can reach her destination by the 29th. And thus begins the traditional rom-com mating ritual of sexually-charged bickering followed by moments of abrupt awkward intimacy.
While watching Leap Year I swear I could hear the Irish countryside quietly weeping as it witnessed Goode and Adams slog through the film's succession of trite misadventures the talented actors straining in vain to manufacture some semblance of romantic chemistry as an assortment of jolly Waking Ned Devine types futilely spurred them on. Oh if only Greenpeace could have intervened and put a halt to such wanton environmental desecration. It's the worst thing to come out of Ireland since The Cranberries.

Title

Wrote, produced and directed the drama "Seabiscuit"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Dramatic Picture; nominated by the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement; Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenpla

With Anne Spielberg, co-scripted and co-produced "Big"; received Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination

Picked up second Oscar nomination for solo screenwriting effort, the comedy "Dave"; made a cameo as a policeman

Feature acting debut, "Crackers"

Helmed the feature adaptation of "The Hunger Games"; also co-wrote screenplay with Billy Ray and book's author Suzanne Collins

Wrote draft of screenplay for "Mr. Gadget"

Reportedly did uncredited work on the screenplay for "The Flintstones"

First produced script, a segment of HBO's horror anthology "The Hitchhiker"

Feature directorial debut, "Pleasantville"; also wrote and produced

Collaborated on the screenplay for Fred Schepisi's "Mr. Baseball"

Contributed to the screenplay for "Lassie"

Wrote and produced the animated feature "The Tale of Despereaux"

Was one of the producers of "Trial and Error"

Summary

One of the most accomplished writer-directors of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary Ross received screenwriting Oscar nominations for "Big" (1988), "Dave" (1993) and "Seabiscuit" (2003) while enjoying critical acclaim as a director of the latter picture as well as Pleasantville" (1998) and the blockbuster fantasy "The Hunger Games" (2012). Ross' best work combined a wistful longing for the innocence of times gone by with a deep-rooted passion for the power of the democratic process to effect positive change in the lives of all people. His often-sparkling dialogue, most notably in "Dave" and "Pleasantville," echoed the screwball comedy genre of the 1930s, while the doggedly optimistic tone of "Seabiscuit" and "The Tale of Despereaux" evoked comparisons with Frank Capra and Preston Sturges. Ross weathered some ups and downs after "Seabiscuit" before roaring back to the spotlight with "The Hunger Games," an eagerly anticipated film version of the popular youth fantasy novel series. Ross' ability to imbue genre pictures with resonant emotional and political content made him one of the most skilled filmmakers of the period.<p>Born Nov. 3, 1955 in Castro Valley, CA, Gary Ross was the son of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Arthur A. Ross, whose credits included "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) and "Brubaker" (1980). He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught a course on film and social history, but dropped out prior to graduation in order to gain some real-life experience by working on a fishing boat. He was also deeply committed to politics, and worked on Ted Kennedy's 1980 bid for president before serving as a speechwriter for Michael Dukakis. Ross' writing career began with novels, but his initial efforts were not met with success. However, his brief stint as a novelist brought him to Paramount Pictures, where a treatment he wrote caught the attention of producer Leonard Goldberg. Ross was subsequently hired to write several screenplays, though none were ever brought to fruition.<p>Ross finally struck pay dirt with his fourth effort, "Big" (1988), which he co-wrote with his neighbor, Anne Spielberg, sister of acclaimed director Steven Spielberg. The youth fantasy-drama earned unanimously excellent reviews, and netted Ross shared Oscar and Writers Guild nominations for Best Original Screenplay. He subsequently became an in-demand polisher for such high-profile studio projects as "Mr. Baseball" (1992) and "The Flintstones" (1994) while retaining his political interest by penning speeches for Bill Clinton's race for the White House in 1992.<p>The following year, Ross knocked it out of the park again with "Dave" (1993), a charming fantasy about a mild-mannered teacher (Kevin Kline) whose resemblance to the President of the United States earned him a stint as the Commander in Chief's double. Another box office hit, it brought Ross his second Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, as well as the Writers Guild's Paul Selvin award for scripts that embody the spirit of the Constitution. In 1997, he made his debut as producer on the comedy "Larger Than Life," a vehicle intended to parlay actor Michael Richards' popularity on "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998) into a big-screen career. The following year, he segued into directing with "Pleasantville" (1998), a comedy-fantasy about a pair of modern-day teens - a pre-fame Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon - who are transported into a '50s-era sitcom. Despite critical praise and Oscar nominations for Best Score and Art Design, the film was overshadowed by "The Truman Show" (1998), which shared similar plot elements but benefited from a high-profile cast led by Jim Carrey.<p>Three years would pass before Ross returned to filmmaking with "Seabiscuit" (2003), a spirited biopic of the famed eponymous racehorse and the men who owned, trained and rode him. Though only modestly successful at the box office, it netted seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2008, he served as writer and producer on "The Tale of Despereaux," a computer-animated fantasy based on Kate DiCamillo's story of a brave mouse's quest to save a human princess. The production was marred by infighting between its multi-national production team, which resulted in an uneven film that drew mixed reviews.<p>Two years later, Ross was selected to direct and co-write the much-anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian youth fantasy "The Hunger Games" (2012). A fan of the source material, he penned a script and sent it to Collins for her approval and contributions. The author, who shared screenplay credit for the film, gave her blessing to Ross, who enlisted his friend and "Pleasantville" producer Steven Soderbergh to serve as his second unit director on the six-month location shoot in North Carolina. Completed for a budget of nearly $100 million, the all-star feature, led by rising star Jennifer Lawrence - an Oscar nominee for "Winter's Bone" (2010) - and featuring Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci, received near-universal praise upon its release in March of that year, and returned Ross to A-list status. His post-production duties on "Hunger Games" prevented him from writing the second film in the series, "Catching Fire" (2013), which was subsequently scripted by Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy of "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) fame. However, Ross remained attached as director while also serving as producer on a long-gestating remake of his father's classic "Creature from the Black Lagoon."<p><i>By Paul Gaita</i>

Name

Role

Comments

Arthur Ross

Father

wrote "Creature From the Black Lagoon" (1954), "The Great Race" (1965); earned an Oscar nomination for "Brubaker" (1980); blacklisted during the McCarthy era; founded the Hollywood branch of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy in the late 1950s

Gail Ross

Mother

born on October 29, 1920; died of cancer in March 1997; "Pleasantville" is dedicated to her

Education

Name

University of Pennsylvania

Notes

An outspoken liberal who wrote speeches for Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton, Ross made no secret of modeling the heartless president in "Dave" (1993) after Ronald Reagan.

"Bob Dole wanted to build a bridge to the past, and many people are in love with a past that I don't think ever existed – one that was devoid of conflict or poverty or strife. As a culture, there's a need to do that now, to mythologize. It's like telling ourselves big, 3-D lies because we don't want to face the consequences of what a big society is." – Ross to The Los Angeles Times, Sept. 20, 1998